Poker Without Borders: A Global Card Game

Legal: Swedish government attacks poker clubs (Sweden)

Randy — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:47:37 +0000

“According to the Swedish gaming board Lotteriinspektionen, the illegal poker playing in the country is getting out of hand. The institution is now pledging to police to be tougher on underground poker clubs.

In Sweden, the government owned company Svenska Spel has a monopoly when it comes to providing poker games, both live and online. Despite this, there are a number of illegal poker clubs available, and many of them openly advertise their business on the internet.

According to a report produced by Lotteriinspektionen, there are around one hundred poker clubs operating in Sweden.

“In almost every Swedish town there are one or more poker clubs where illegal poker tournaments for money are held several times a week,” Lotterinspektionen writes in the report.”

PokerListings (09/05/07)

League: Poker league is flushed with success (UK)

Randy — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:45:33 +0000

It’s a full house in Chorley as poker fever takes over the town.

The town’s newest club has opened in a garage and is now struggling to cope with spiralling demand.

Interest has boomed since Chorley poker pro, Jonathan Kalmar, won $1.25m at the World Championships in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Fan David McDermott was bitten by the bug and converted his garage into a fully loaded poker den in September last year when he wife bought him a poker table for his 50th birthday.

But since then interest in his poker games has really taken off.

With his friends, he formed the Chorley Poker League which started its first season in June 2006 with eight members.

But now, as the popular league approaches its second full season, David is struggling to cope with the demand.

He said: “I’ve got over 50 people who now want to play and I don’t have room for them all. I’m having to turn away players every week.”

Lancashire Evening Post (09/05/07)

Legal: Man pleads guilty to gaming charge (Canada)

Randy — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:33:48 +0000

“One of the remaining two people charged in connection with allegedly illegal poker games last fall has pleaded guilty to one charge of being found in a gaming house.

However, 40-year-old Bradley Sean Anderson has been given an absolute discharge and will not have a criminal record as a result of the plea he entered in provincial court here Tuesday afternoon.

Anderson was among 20 people who were charged as a result of an undercover operation by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary into complaints of illegal Texas Hold ‘em-style poker games being held on a regular basis at Union Street Bar and Billiards in Corner Brook. The charges against nearly all of those individuals have since been withdrawn, leaving only Anderson and the bar’s proprietor still facing charges.”

The Western Star (08/29/07)

Online: Gambling online this Janmashtami (India)

Randy — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:29:44 +0000

Hemant Bhatt, president, Cyber Cafe Association in Ahmedabad said,”There is a new trend of playing on-line games in the city, with an increasing number of youngsters getting hooked onto these games.” Teen Patti – an Indian version of Poker, also known as Flush, has many takers amongst on-line gamblers in Ahmedabad.”The game’s name in itself is catchy, targeted mainly for the urban fast moving generation, and the games are built in the same fashion as traditional card games. That is one reason we got addicted to it,” said Dharam Seth, an on-line gambler from the city.“After getting hooked onto the website, I asked my friends to join me. We are in constant touch with each other while playing games, using parallel chat services where we discuss our moves and bets,” adds Sheth.

The users can play in different modes, either by using free money available to them after registering on the site, or by betting real money using credit cards, where they can deposit or withdraw money depending upon the bets and moves of the game.

Times of India (09/04/07)

Tournament: US Student wins PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour’s First Event

Randy — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:03:59 +0000

“Brett Parise, a 22-year-old university student from Indiana USA, won the first event of the inaugural PokerStars Asia-Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) in Manila late Sunday, collecting first prize of $179,775 and a seat in December’s grand final in Sydney Australia.

Parise bested a field of more than 250 players at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino in Manila, Philippines, to take home one of the biggest tournament prizes ever awarded in Asian poker.

More than 200 players from 30 countries had started the three day event.”

Poker Pages (08/27/07)

Online: Asian ISP bets on gambling

Randy — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:12:32 +0000

“The company’s new profits come from gambling and gaming websites, including poker and slot machine games, and multiplayer online games without a cash gambling element.

Gigamedia’s revenues surged 88 per cent year on year to reach $40m in the second quarter. The company’s profits more than doubled to reach $10m during the quarter.
“Growth was driven by increases in real money players on Everest Poker,” said Gigamedia president Thomas Hui.

“Approximately 154,000 active depositing real money customers played Everest Poker during the second quarter, up 254 per cent year on year and 12 per cent sequentially.

“Approximately 54,000 new depositing real money players were added during the quarter.”

vnunet.com (08/22/07)

Interview: Poker millionaire tells all (South Africa)

Randy — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:46:39 +0000

“Ray Rahme finished third at the recent World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, pocketing himself a cool $3.1-million (R22.7-million).

The Times caught up with Rahme and he revealed what he plans to do with his millions.”

The Times (08/20/07)

News: On the Cards (Australia)

Randy — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:08:58 +0000

“TEXAS HOLD’EM, one of the scores of variations on poker, is today the most popular form of the card game in the world. It’s played everywhere, from the neon-streaked sands of Las Vegas to the back bar of the Jubilee Hotel in uptown BrisVegas. Across Australia, some 500,000 people fight it out in venues each week: bowls clubs, footy clubs, RSL clubs, worn-out pubs and mock taverns – there’s a game around every corner.

Queensland law, as in most states except NSW, says the game may be played outside casinos provided there’s no entry fee, no stakes to be paid. Instead, a number of poker “leagues” provide the infrastructure – tables, chips and organisers – for pubs and clubs to have regular free-to-play tournaments. There’s the Australian Poker League, the National Poker League, National Pub Poker League, Australian Masters Poker and Queensland Poker Events, but no one operation is dominant in Queensland, says Sean Callender, editor-in-chief of the bimonthly magazine Bluff.”

The Courier Mail (08/18/07)

Media: Card Player Launches CardPlayerItalia.com (Italy)

Randy — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:17:52 +0000

“In an effort to continue bringing poker players worldwide localized content, Card Player Media has launched CardPlayerItalia.com. CardPlayerItalia.com was developed as an extension of Card Player Italia, the localized Italian version of Card Player magazine.

The site features complete tournament coverage from Italy and other European events, up to date news, articles and poker player profiles written by Italy’s top poker pros, including Max Pescatori and Marco Figuccia.

CardPlayerItalia.com also features the Card Player Italian Player of the Year Race. Using similar scoring criteria as Card Player’s own Player of the Year standings, the oldest and most respected tournament poker ranking system in the industry, the site will track and honor the best Italian poker players.”

CardPlayer (08/15/07)

Tournament: New Asia Pacific Poker Tour to Start Next Week (Philippines)

Randy — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:02:14 +0000

“In another show of the international force that poker has become, the new Asia Pacific Poker Tour kicks off next week in the Philippines with three stops planned. The launch event begins on Aug. 23 at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila. The second event is scheduled for Sept. 27 at the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel and Casino in Seoul, South Korea, and the tour wraps up in December with the Grand Final at the Star City Casino in Sydney, Australia. At least three more events are expected for 2007 and the venues will be announced later in the year.”

bodog Beat (08/16/07)